Every now and then you come across the term LASIK. What is it exactly? For those who do not know, LASIK is the short for ‘laser in-situ keratomileusis’ and is an extremely popular eye surgery that tends to fix refractive errors in the eyes such as nearsightedness or myopia, farsightedness or hyperopia, as well as astigmatism, which is essentially the uneven curvature of the cornea which causes the irregular refraction of light when the light passes through the cornea.
LASIK eye surgery is an extremely successful type of surgery that has a success rate of about 99.99 percent. As mentioned earlier, the surgery aims to rectify the refractive errors such as hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism, and thus enable you to live with the help of prescription glasses and contact lenses. Although there are no life-threatening or eyesight threatening complications that are associated with the LASIK eye surgery, there are a few side effects that may occur after the actual eye surgery. However, these side effects tend to diminish and eventually vanish after a few days and can be treated easily.
Preliminary Evaluations and the Importance of Choosing the Right Doctor
The LASIK eye surgery is not different from any other type of surgery in the sense that similar to various other surgeries, LASIK eye surgery also has its own share of risks and side effects that you should know about in case you are considering to go for the surgery. First and foremost, it is almost imperative to select a good surgeon for the job. A skilled surgeon will ensure that operation is a success and that no unwanted complications take rise. It is, of course, understood that any qualified doctor can perform the LASIK eye surgery but the question here is regarding excellence and not an at par job. A skilled surgeon will not only do a commendable job in the operation theatre but also minimize the risks associated with the laser eye operation.
Then it is important to evaluate yourself and determine whether you would be a valid candidate for the laser eye corrective surgery. The doctor will make you go through numerous evaluations that will eventually determine that whether you would be fit to be a candidate for the LASIK eye surgery. The tests will check your suitability for the operation. They will check curvature and the thickness of the cornea, the size of the pupil, the amount of moisture in your eyes, your medical history, your ongoing medications, and of course your general health details.
Risks, Limitations, And Side Effects That You Should Be Aware Of
There are various risks associated with the LASIK eye surgery. Some of them are mentioned below in order to make you aware of the risks that are associated with the popular laser eye operation.
• Discomfort
This is the least of all the concerns but still a risk associated with the surgery. Discomfort is experienced by patients in the first few days after the surgery. In this reference, discomfort means mild pain, irritation, sensitivity to bright lights, and blurred vision. These signs are very normal and there is absolutely nothing to be scared of. They are temporary in nature and will disappear in a few days.
• Complications In The Corneal Flap
This is a pretty serious one. The LASIK operation consists of the creation of a flap kind of thing on the cornea that is attached to a hinge. This make-shift flap is opened during the surgery when the corneal tissue is vaporized using lasers. The flap is put back on and left there for healing.
Now, in a hypothetical scenario, in case the flap is not put back correctly, the consequences may be drastic. In some cases, microscopic wrinkles may develop in the flap and lead to further complications. These flap-related complications can lead to distorted and blurry eyesight. As per the statistical data, these flap-related complications occur in approximately 0.3 to 5.8 percent of the all the LASIK eye surgery procedures.
• Astigmatism
Astigmatism is caused by the irregularity in the shape and curvature of the cornea, that is, it is caused due to the uneven surface of the corneal tissues. Astigmatism can also occur after the eye surgery in case the laser beam is not focused at the right place. It can also happen if the healing process is not taking place properly. People who experience this often undergo a corrective surgery.
• DLK Or Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis
DLK, also known as the ‘sands of Sahara’ is essentially inflammation that takes place under the corneal flap and can have many possible reasons. Inflammation is entirely an odd thing. A little inflammation is natural after any surgery. Thus it is normal for some mild inflammation to take place under the flap just after the surgery. However, in case the inflammation is out of control it may lead to distorted eyesight or even loss of vision.
• Keratoconus
This is one uncommon phenomenon. It is basically the bulging of the eye’s superficial surface if the amount of corneal tissue removed from the eye via the laser beam is too much. It can also happen if you’re the tissue around the cornea is already weak.
• Dry Eyes
Dry eyes are yet another side effect that is experienced by patients after the LASIK eye surgery. This is because, after the surgery, the tear production in the eyes is altered and thus as a result, the eyes get excessively dry.
After reading the above content, it is safe to say that it is very important to pick the right doctor and to make sure that your doctor is skilled and qualified. Hope you benefitted from the content!